The present invention relates to a surgical retractor apparatus, and in particular, it relates to clamping devices that support the retractor apparatus over an operating table.
It is customary during major surgery, particularly on the chest or abdomen, to employ retractors. The retractors are applied to the edges of a surgical incision and pull back the incision exposing the area in which the surgeon must work. The retractor is held in place, typically, by being attached to a retractor apparatus that is positioned over the operating table. The retractor apparatus is usually attached to side rails located along the sides of the operating table by some type of clamping device.
In the past, many of the clamping devices on the side rails of the operating table had to be positioned in an exact location. The retractor apparatus was then secured to the clamping devices by various mechanisms to hold the retractor apparatus in place over the operating table. Since the side rails of the operating table are not sterile, a surgical drape was placed over the side rail by either cutting slits into the surgical drape and extending the supports of the retractor apparatus through the slits, or simply readjusting the drape around the support member and over the clamp and the side rail.
Some of the shortcomings of the abovementioned clamping devices are that they do not allow the placement of the retractor apparatus to be varied easily in the horizontal direction along the length of the bed unless slits are made in the surgical drape. Introducing slits into the surgical drape, to allow the supports of the retractor apparatus to engage the clamping device presents a possible danger of contamination from the unsterile surfaces of the clamping device and the side rail through the slit. In addition, vertical adjustment of the retractor apparatus is difficult since often times the clamping device is beneath the drape.
Simply readjusting the surgical drape around the support member also presents a contamination problem. If the surgical drape is moved or shifts during the operation, the unsterile clamping device and part of the side rail may be exposed.
The LeVahn U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,631, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, describes a clamping device which clamps the surgical drape to the side rail thereby preventing potential contamination problems exhibited in the other retractor apparatuses. The clamping device includes a first member having a first clamping portion and a second member having a second clamping portion. A tightening mechanism extending through the second member and bearing against the first member retains the first and second clamping portions in the clamping position against the side rail of the operating table.
Although overcoming many of the disadvantages of the other clamping devices, the LeVahn '631 patent has knobs for adjusting the clamping device and for adjusting the supports which are in close proximity to each other. Accidental release of the support could occur when the surgeon or assistant only intended to adjust the clamping device. Likewise, accidental release of the clamping device could occur when the surgeon or assistant only intended to adjust the support.
In addition, the knobs for adjusting the clamping device and for adjusting the supports of the LeVahn '631 patent are located at or below the level of the operating table. During an operation, the level of the operating table is generally below the waist-level of the surgeons. Therefore, to adjust the clamping device of the LeVahn '631 patent, the surgeon or assistant would be required to bend over or crouch down in order to visually assure that any adjustments of the clamping device or supports were done properly.
The McCready et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,763 describes a surgical retractor assembly having a support post with a C-type clamp for attaching the support post to a rail provided on an operating table. The C-type clamp includes a fixed first jaw member and an adjustable second jaw member which adjusts axially along the longitudinal axis of the support post. The adjustment of the second jaw member is controlled by a rotative screw mechanism extending through the support post.